Unexpected Twist
by Breakawayfan
Summary: During Katniss and Peeta's stay in Victor's Village, Peeta discovers a box containing all the previous 73 Hunger Games recorded on cassette tapes. As he scans through them, one Game catches his attention: the 63rd Hunger Games, with a question mark in place of a winning District. As he and Katniss watch, they have no idea what surprises this Hunger Games has inside it. Oc's main
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a fanfiction I've wanted to make for a while. I'm a huge fan of The Hunger Games books, and I've always wondered how the games prior to the 74****th**** games went down. But then another thought came to me: what if there was an unexpected surprise? So here's the basic synopsis: during Katniss and Peeta's time in the Victor's Village after winning the 74****th**** Hunger Games, Peeta takes some time to explore the house. In one of the storage rooms, he finds a box containing all the previous Hunger Games recorded and put on VHS tapes. As he looks them over and sees who won each game. But when he reaches the 63****rd**** Hunger Games, something catches his eye: in the place of the District's winner, he finds a question mark. As he and Katniss watch it, they have no idea what lies in store.**

**Chapter 1: The Discovery**

Peeta Mellark woke up to the warmth of the sun's morning rays touching his face. As he sat up, he looked over at the bed-stand clock, which read 7:30 a.m. Peeta then looked over in the other direction and saw Katniss Everdeen, his lover and co-winner of the 74th Hunger Games, was still fast asleep. Peeta figured that now would be a good time to check out the house before the house's servants got up to begin their duties. Carefully rising from the bed, without disturbing Katniss, Peeta put on his slippers and silently walked out of the room.

As he walked down the hallways of the mansion, which was just as big on the inside as it was on the outside, Peeta found a lot of interesting things, including a banner of him and Katniss when they were being drawn down the Capitol's main street during the Hunger Game's opening parade, wearing their famous "fire-suits." Peeta smiled widely at this memory, as it was the first time he ever felt noticed. But then he remembered that it also brought pain and despair to the friends and families of the selected tributes, and his smile immediately faded. As Peeta rounded the corner, he found a strange door with a Mockingjay symbol on the center. Peeta curiously approached the door and twisted the knob, finding that it was unlocked. Opening it, he found assorted boxes lined alongside both walls in the room, surrounding a wooden table in the middle of the room. On top of the table was a box about two feet tall and about four feet wide. Curiosity kicked in again, and Peeta found himself walking over to the box and opening it. What he found inside the box was very intriguing: all 73 of the previous Hunger Games recorded on video tapes and stacked in rows. Peeta then noticed that they were in numerical order, so finding the right ones wouldn't be a problem, and Peeta took the first tape out of the box.

1st Hunger Games Environment: Grassland District winner: 7

_This could be interesting,_ Peeta thought to himself as he put the tape down on the table. Then he took out tape after tape and read the label of each one. District 5 won the 2nd Hunger Games in a forested environment. District 2 won the 3rd Hunger Games in mountainous arena. The list just kept going until Peeta found the 50th Games. Haymitch Abernathy, the first winner of District 12, won this game in a poisonous jungle arena.

"No surprise there. Me and Katniss were trained by the winner of this one," Peeta said to himself as he remembered getting advice on survival from Haymitch himself while on their way to the Capitol. Then he continues rummaging through the tapes until another one caught his attention. When he picked up the tape for the 63rd Hunger Games, it said:

63rd Hunger Games Environment: Swamp District winner: ?

This left Peeta confused and intrigued. "Why would the Capitol go to the trouble of recording a Hunger Games if they didn't know who won it?" he asked himself. "Maybe I should show this to Katniss," he said as he put the other tapes in the box, closed the lid and walked out of the room.

Katniss was roaming the house in search of Peeta. When she woke up earlier that morning, she found that the other bedside was empty and Peeta was gone. _Probably just out looking around_, she had thought to herself. After searching the usual areas, including the library, the kitchen and the foyer, she was just about to give up when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Turning around in surprise, she saw Peeta standing right behind her, who was holding something in his hand.

"Where have you been? I was looking for you all morning," Katniss said as she gave her lover a tight hug.

"I was just looking around the house," Peeta replied, hugging Katniss back. "Besides, you were still asleep, so I didn't want to wake you up."

"You're such a gentleman," Katniss said. Then she saw the tape Peeta had in his hand. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Something I found in one of the storage rooms. There was a box that had every Hunger Games before ours on these tapes," Peeta said as he handed Katniss the tape. "This Hunger Games really got my attention. Look at the 'District winner' part." Katniss did so, and noticed that instead of the number of one of the Districts, there was a question mark in its place.

"Why is that there?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I thought when I first found it," Peeta replied. "I think we should watch it and see what happened."

"That might sound like a good idea. Let's go to the viewing room," Katniss said as she started walking toward the viewing room.

The viewing room was a rather large room in the house, with a sofa, a few easy chairs, a balcony that gave a full view of the District, and a medium-sized television in front of the sofa. Underneath the TV was cassette player. Katniss turned on the TV while Peeta put the tape into the player. When they sat down on the couch, little did they know about the surprises that this little tape had in its contents.

**Well, there's the first chapter. Another little thing about this story: this story is mainly centered around OC's, mainly a 14-year-old boy from 12 named Scrap and his epic struggle to survive against a harsh arena full of unexpected twists, deadly creatures, and an alliance of other tributes who are out to get him. There will be suspense, tears, and even a little romance. Leave a review and maybe a suggestion on what to add.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Reaping**

Scrap looked out of the window in his bedroom with a look of despair and sorrow on his face, gazing out at the Seam in District 12, his childhood home. He was a skinny-bodied 14-year-old with short red hair, brown eyes and a small birthmark on his left arm. There was a reason why he was afraid: today was the day of the Reaping, the day where the Capitol chose one boy and girl to be placed in an arena for an event known as the Hunger Games, a sadistic game where the selected kids were not only to survive in whatever wilderness the arena had, but to fight each other to the death like gladiators. Scrap felt that as each year went on, his chances of being drawn became increasingly higher. Deciding that he shouldn't let that worry get the better of him, Scrap got up from his bed and walked downstairs, where his parents and Roughs, his 10-year-old younger brother were waiting in the main room of the house.

"Better get ready, hon. The Reaping is this afternoon," his mother said as she combed her youngest son's hair.

"Got it, Mom," Scrap said as he turned the small kitchen area. Finding himself an apple from the basket that he was able to barter a couple squirrels for, Scrap went back upstairs and found his best clothes lying on his bedside chair all neat and folded. Those were the same clothes that his father wore when he was his age. Scrap sighed to himself as he took a bite from his apple, placed it on his bed, and started to change. When that was finished, Scrap took his apple and ran back downstairs.

"Hurry up. Your friends are already outside waiting," his father called.

"Thanks, Pop," Scrap said as he walked out the door. Outside, Scrap's friends Henri, a stocky boy with arms that looked like they could be used as clubs; Cherry, a brunette whose glare was as sharp as her pocketknife, and her smile as sweet as her namesake; and Warren, Scrap's best friend growing up, were all standing in front of his porch waiting for him to come out.

"Come on, the Peacekeepers are starting to run out of patience! If we don't get there in time, they'll drag us there," Henri said warily. Henri was the nervous one of the group, whereas Cherry was the energetic and impatient one and Warren was the calm and collected one. Scrap was a mix of his three friends' personalities. He was very energetic when he and his friends were hunting, he was nervous in the face of adversity, and he was calm and serene in most situations. The four friends hurried to the center of District 12 to get their prints and names registered for the drawing. As always, Henri was very nervous about the finger prick, but fortunately for him, his friends helped him through it. After everything was done, there was only one thing they could do now: wait.

Three hours passed before the stage and screens were all set up. Once everyone was present, the women and girls on one side and the men and boys on the other, and the opening film finished playing, Wilberg, the tribute escort and a rather scrawny man in his mid-thirties, appeared on the stage.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Today we now draw our tributes for the honor of playing for your beloved District in the 63rd annual Hunger Games," he said as two goldfish bowls half-full of paper appear on either side of him. He then walked over to the one on his right. "Ladies first," he said as he reached inside. After a few seconds of scrambling ballots between his fingers, Wilberg pulled one out from the bowl. "Tahki Mason," he read into the microphone Movement stirred in the girls' crowd, and a 16-year-old girl of Native American heritage walked onto the stage next to Wilberg. Scrap had seen this girl before. She was a skilled leaf-reader, so she would more than likely make it pretty far into the Hunger Games, more than he ever would.

"Now it's the boys' turn," Wilberg said as he walked over to the bowl on his left. As soon as he reached inside the bowl, Scrap felt his fear overtake him. He was shaking like an earthquake, sweat beaded from his forehead, his palm went cold and clammy, and he felt like his legs would fall out from under him. He had every right to be scared. Last year, he was pretty close to being drawn, so this year, he could only do one thing to ensure that he wouldn't be close to being picked again: pray.

After a few more seconds of shuffling, Wilberg pulled a ballot from the bowl. Scrap was now feeling more scared than ever, even with Warren's hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down. Then Wilberg read it out loud into the microphone. "Scrap Rangerford," he read with a smile. Scrap suddenly felt himself turn cold and pale. Never before in his entire life had he felt so scared. Slowly and tremblingly, he approached the stage. As soon as he approached the stage, Wilberg spoke into the microphone again. "Well, go on. Shake hands," he said. The two new tributes looked at each other and reluctantly shook each other's hands. After that, two Peacekeepers turned them around and marched them into the waiting room in the back. "Happy Hunger Games," Wilberg said before turning to follow them.

Scrap was pacing in his waiting room like a caged lion wondering what would happen next. As he was doing so, he heard a door open and a Peacekeeper say "You have three minutes." Then he felt a strong force tackle his body. He looked down, and saw Roughs bury his head into his chest, sobbing like someone whose grandmother died. Scrap knew he had to give some encouragement to his brother, so he lifted his head up and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Hey, look at me, Roughs. You know me very well, so you'll know that I'll do whatever it takes to come back. That's a promise," he said softly, "Now wait outside while I tell Mom and Pop something really important." Roughs did as he was told and walked outside. Then Scrap turned to his parents. "Listen to what I have to tell you. If I die, be sure not to let Roughs see it. I don't want him to know that his brother died a very gruesome death and he was there to see it," he said instructively. His parents were too saddened by their son's highly possible demise to say anything, so they simply nodded and turned out of the room. As soon as they left, he heard the door open again, and he saw his friends come in, with Cherry throwing her arms around him in a bear-hug.

"W-why did they have t-to d-do that to y-you?!" she wailed through her sobs. Scrap found himself returning the hug and rubbing her back in reassurance.

"It's alright, Cher. Like I told my brother, I'll do whatever it takes to come back," he said as she let go. He then looked over at Henri and Warren, who looked equally saddened. "Alright guys, this might be the end. While I'm gone, do me a favor: take care of Roughs for me. The three of you are better hunters than I ever was," he said as he placed a hand on their shoulders.

"Don't be so down. The capitol's just looking for a good show," Warren said.

"There are 24 of us going into that arena, and only one's going to come back out," Scrap said. Then the Peacekeeper came in and escorted his friends out, leaving Scrap alone once again. During that time, Scrap did something that he hadn't done in years: cried.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Preparations**

After a 3-day train ride from District 12 to the Capitol, Scrap and Takhi were immediately showered with warm greetings (and tons of confetti) from the people of the Capitol. Once the Peacekeepers were able to send everyone away, the two Tributes found themselves being taken to a facility that someone said would help make them look good. Soon, Scrap found himself being washed, scrubbed and primed with such care that he thought the people cleaning him were saints. When it was all done, Scrap was fully dressed and introduced to his stylist Thaddeus, a middle-aged man with brown short-cut hair and a small beard on his chin.

"You must be Scrap, yes?" he said in a thick accent that Scrap hadn't heard before. Then he extended his right hand.

"Yes, I am. Hope don't mind if I ask, but where are you from? You don't sound like the others," Scrap said as he shook Thaddeus's hand.

"Originally, I am from a faraway country called Greece, but my family came to this land when I was eight years old," he said with a small smile. Then he turned to leave the room, signaling for Scrap to follow him. The two entered a room with a large window that overlooked the Capitol, with the entire public cheering and whooping outside. Takhi was already sitting down, waiting for them.

"Now, then, why don't we discuss the costumes that the two of you will be wearing over some lunch? I am sure that staying in that Remake room with people prodding at you left and right must have worked up an appetite, yes?" Thaddeus said as he pressed a button on the edge of the table that he and Scrap were sitting at. A few minutes later, two Avox came in carrying trays of food. The first course was a rich, creamy beige soup topped with herbs and assorted vegetables; then came a tender, juicy chicken dish topped with some kind of sweet, but slightly spicy, pale-orange sauce; and finally, a tray of small tarts topped with raspberry and strawberry preserves for dessert.

As they ate, Thaddeus continued to talk about ideas for their costumes for the opening parade. "As you must already know, the parade for the opening of the Hunger Games requires costumes containing elements for the Districts," he said as the kids put down their silverware.

"Yeah, but what are we wearing for District 12? All we have are coal miners," Tahki said, obviously worried about the Capitol making fun of them if their costumes looked ridiculous.

"Ah, that is where the fun comes in. Instead of the miners themselves, my focus will be directed to the elements they work in. I trust you two are not afraid of the dark?" Thaddeus replied with a gleeful smile on his face. Scrap started to feel a little nervous about Thaddeus' idea.

[Later that evening]

Scrap and Tahki were anxiously watching the clock, the opening parade for the Hunger Games just an hour away from getting underway. Suddenly they heard the door opening. They quickly turned around and saw Thaddeus walking in holding two pitch-black suits in his arms. Scrap took the first one he handed out and held it up against his body while looking in the mirror. The costume was full-bodied with a zipper on the back, so he could slip into it like a ski suit. The mask was completely stitched into the body so it would slip over his head with the rest of the suit. There were also two small holes in the face for the eyes and two smaller ones lined with window screen under them for his nostrils, allowing him to breathe. Tahki had a suit just like his, but there was a hole in the back of the head, so her hair could trail out. Both costumes were also sprayed some kind of black powder to make it look like coal dust was blowing off them as the cart rolled down the street.

After changing, the kids came out of their rooms and back into the penthouse, where Thaddeus stood applauding.

"Perfect. You're both ready," he said as he motioned to the door. The three then went to the elevator, left the building, and drove to the Capitol's main street, where the parade was being held.

As Scrap and Tahki were standing in their chariot waiting for the parade to begin, they looked around to see how the other tributes were costumed and propped. The Tributes from District 1 caught their eyes first. The boy, a largely built young man named Kut, was dressed as a winemaker, complete with a prop wine bottle in his hand, while the girl, a redhead with a rather slender physique named Opal, was wearing a costume similar to a hair stylist uniform. Both of District 2's Tributes were dressed up as stone masons, the boy holding a hammer and chisel and the girl carrying a pickaxe. The Tributes from 3 were dressed up as a technician and an engineer; 4's Tributes were fishermen; 5, a geologist and a maintenance worker; 6, a mechanic and a train conductor; 7, a lumberjack and a carpenter; 8, a weaver and a schoolteacher; 9, a cropper and a harvester; 10, the boy was dressed as a butcher, complete with a fake cleaver, and the girl as a rancher; and finally 11, where both Tributes were dressed as gardeners, with the boy holding a trowel, and the girl carrying a basket of fake fruit and vegetables.

"Do you think this'll look good to the Capitol?" Scrap asked Tahki as he slipped his mask on.

"No idea, but all we can do is hope and pray that it does," Tahki said as she zipped up the back of her suit. Just then, Thaddeus stepped in.

"Now, as I'm sure you know already, as the chariot rolls down the street, the dust on your suits will start to kick up. But, instead of trailing behind you, it will billow up around you in a sort of cloudlike appearance. It will give the impression that you're both completely surrounded by darkness," he said as the Capitol's fanfare started blaring outside, which signaled the parade to start.

The chariots started taking off down the Capitol's main street, the audience cheering and hollering as the Tributes showed off their costumes for all to see. Scrap began to sweat like a farmer on a hot day inside his suit, the anxiety eating away at his heart like some kind of invisible acid. But as the chariot started rolling down the street, he felt Tahki place a hand on his shoulder. Somehow, her touch made him feel calm and confident. The dust then started kicking up and swirling around them like some kind of black tornado. Then he felt her hand slide down his arm and stop at his hand, her fingers intertwining with his own.

"Um, what are you doing?" Scrap asked as he started going through another cold sweat.

"Trust me, it'll be a real crowd-killer," she said looking down at him. Although Scrap couldn't see it, Tahki was also smiling underneath her mask. She saw her fellow Tribute as a little brother, and she would do whatever it took to help him and protect him in the Games. Then she raised her right hand, which was still holding onto Scrap's left hand, high into the air, while extending her left over the side of the chariot. Scrap got where she was going and followed her lead. As soon as he did, the crowd started going nuts, cheering and shouting at the top of their lungs, watching the two Tributes who proudly showed that they were more than honored to represent their District. Then the chariots finally came to a stop in front of the Town Hall, where President Snow stepped up to his podium on the balcony and spoke into the microphone.

"Welcome, welcome. Tributes, we welcome you," he said in a deep, booming voice. "We salute you for your courage, and… for your sacrifice. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

As the closing ceremonies for the parade went underway and people started heading home, the Tributes were wheeled back to their designers. Each was well received, but no one could describe the sheer joy that crossed Thaddeus' face.

"Ha! What did I tell you? They absolutely loved it! It seems like the both of you will have sponsors lining up from miles around!" he said joyfully. As Thaddeus started walking off happily with the two Tributes under his arms, Scrap couldn't help but notice Kut and Opal glaring at him like he just committed a horrible crime. Tahki noticed it, too, so she asked Thaddeus to remove his arms and leaned closer to Scrap.

"Don't worry about them. They're just jealous because their costumes didn't dazzle the crowd like ours did," she whispered into his ear. With that, they hopped back in Thaddeus' car and drove back to the Tributes' apartment for some much-deserved rest and relaxation.

But little did they know they had already gained a couple of enemies. Kut watched them leave before turning over to Opal. "We need to kill them off first. Once the super-popular Tributes are gone, the Game will be ours for the taking," he hissed, seething with rage and jealousy.

"But how are we going to be able to do that?" Opal asked, curious to know what her fellow 1 Tribute was planning.

"We'll need some friends," Kut replied with an evil grin on his face.

**Oooh, looks like Scrap and Tahki will be in for more than what they bargained for with the 1 Tributes. What is Kut really planning? Will Scrap be able to make it through training in one piece? Find out next time in the next chapter of "Unexpected Twist." May the odds be ever in your favor!**


End file.
